55 User Reviews of Pride of America Cruise Ship

I am seldom moved to share my life experiences or adventures...
ok, sometimes I am. With that said I can't help but share my
experience on NCL's Pride of America. Sadly, if this ship is the
Pride of America, this country is in trouble. While there were a
number of things good about our ride on the Pride there were enough
bad to keep me from wholeheartedly recommeding that you should bood
a ride on what I consider to be the Greyhound bus of the Seven
Seas.

The Good: The boat sponsored excursions, while pricier than what
you might be able to put together on your own, were excellent. We
did the volcano hiking adventure (no lava), Road to Hanna, The
Crater and Turtle Arches Snorkle and the Pacific Paradise Luau.
Only the Laua proved to be a pig in the poke... basically a cattle
run of a zillion folks to a Hotel... entertaining but by no means
in terms of food and entertainment worth the bucks. Super kudos to
the folks who took us un the Road to Hanna and snrorkling trip.
Worth the time an $$$!!! We did our

own helicopter thing in Kuai... Island Helicopters... seriously
consider these folks. Great flight, longer than the boat sponsored
flights and you will see a lot more of the island.

The steak house and East Meets West get the thumbs up for on
board dining. Good chow and worth the extra dollars. Avoid the
Italian eatery at all costs unless you enjoy small, TV dinner size
portions and don't mind enduring the borish snob from Guam who
greets and seats you. One of the rudest, most obnoxious folks I
have ever encountered on the hospitality industry. None of the
other eateries were all that great... we did avoid the main dining
rooms because of the everpresent stench of sewarage that seemed to
linger near the entry and waiting area. More on that later.
Embarkation was a breeze as was getting off at the end of the
cruise.

The Bad: There just appeared to be a total lack of organization
or desire to provide even basic services by most of the staff. To
be fair there were a handful of stars who went about their
appoingted tasks with dilligence and enthusiasm. I chatted with two
or three of the staff and was surprised to find that they flet that
they bit off a bit more than they could chew. They weren't
expecting those ten hour seven day a week work cycles. Word on the
ship was the ship was loosing staff at every port... people just
basically going awol. Kind of confirmed that when one of the
supervisors in the buffet area was breifing her staff early one AM.
She was in some sort of a tizzy because she couln't account for
eight folks who were supposed to be at work that morning.

Our room, during the entire seven days, was never really
cleaned... we had to beg for clean towels until I figured I could
snatch them from the pool areas. Trash never emptied, room never
vacumed, linens never changed. Again, struck up a conversation with
our room host and you could see she was totally slammed. That
seemed to be a common chord throughout the week.

The Ugly: The toilets. Flush the little suckers was always a hit
or miss proposition... especially during peak flush periods. Ours
was out of commission for over ten hours one day. To add insult to
injury it decided to pump out raw sewerage all ofer the bathroom
floor... nice, huh. Several complaints on the phone and three trips
to the non-service desk got us a guy with a wet vac who sopped most
of the mess up and left. Called the desk again and had to pop a
cork to have them send someone up to clean the bathroom properly.
(I actually tried to get some of my money back and abandon ship at
that point...) Desk/customer services really didn't care or know
how to deal with some of the problems that were popping up. The
blamed the toilet problem on a guest flusing a no no down the
potty... that was the company line for all who shared our misery of
hit or miss flushing... got ahold of an engineer who candidly told
me one of the vacume pumps had failed.

Ships Photographers: WARNIKNG... you will hurt their feelings if
you decline their offer to be photographed every time you step off
the boat. I really appreciated the smart a$$ comment from the
little fellow in Maui. He must have been having a bad day.

So... was this a miserable trip? Nope. The on board events were
almost comical in many ways. We looked at it as free onboard
entertainment. Kind of like The Three Stooges run a Cruise Ship.
Yup, tried as they did, the boat and most of the crew could not
deminish the absolute joy of visiting those islands. We will go
back... already planning the trip... we will not, however, hand any
more of our hard earned bucks over to the clowns at NCL. Wrote them
a nice letter... really, no sarcasm or smart remarks... they
haven't even bothered to reply. Reckon their complaint department
must be pretty busy.

So... if you have real low expectations from a cruise line this
is the boat for you... again, no matter how hard they tried they
coul not ruin our trip to paradise

Ship is brand new but housekeeping was a problem and service was
not to a standard I would have expected for the price paid. We left
Honolulu 4 hours late due to a 27 passengers late out of Denver.
Obviously NCL felt these people were more important than the other
2000+ waiting to sail. We were 4 hours late into Hilo which caused
a large number of excursions to be cancelled or rebooked. We left
Kauai 3 hours early so NCL could get to Honolulu to work on the
ships engines (one of the reasons given for late arrival into
Hilo.) Embarkation: We had pre-boarding because of a 2 night
pre-cruise add on at the Marriott. The only long line we dealt with
was the lei greeting and photo.

Dining: Food was adequate but not exceptional. Because NCL has a
warehouse in Honolulu, we were told by several crew members that
they could only take on provisions there. By Thursday, the dining
rooms were out of fresh pineapple, pineapple juice and grapefruit
juice. By Friday, the bananas on the Aloha Buffet were over ripe
(BLACK). Service was substandard. While you could

get an occasional good server, it was a rarity. The two young men
who were host at Little Italy were one of the exceptions. Both were
polite and helpful. We waited more than 45 minutes for breakfast in
the Skyline two separate mornings. The LED screens for finding
where to dine without a wait were a great idea when they were
actually working. Standing in front of the Skyline we looked at the
board which said the Cadillac Diner was open with no wait, we took
stairs and arrived at the Diner within 3 minutes and found
ourselves in a line and told it would be a 20 minute wait. The Host
told us he had been just to busy to worry about updating the info
on the LED screen.

Public rooms: Most of the Public areas were okay. The biggest
complaint I had was the automatic doors to the pool area were heavy
and with the ship moving were really difficult to open and about
75% of the time the automatic assist was broken. Also, they had
real problems with the elevators and toilets although not affected
by the latter only the smell on level 4 when walking through.
Entertainment: Didn't really attend.

Cabin: Cabin is small even for two people. Closet space is VERY
limited. The lanai was the best part of the cabin. Had a problem
with the shower drain which took 2 days and 2 trips from
maintenance to fix. Our cabin attendant was good, but not great.
Soap dispenser in shower not filled upon arrival. Cabin made up as
a double when requested a single (we rearranged the beds, but
housekeeping never did provide a King bedspread).

Service: Cranky crew members with "not my job" attitudes through
out the ship. Ordering a Diet Coke in a specialty restaurant
requires the crew member to go to the nearest bar and get it. There
are no fountain dispensers set up in any specialty restaurant. The
hours may not be the hours the bar was actually open. John Adams
Coffee Bar was to open at 7AM and was NEVER open before 8AM.
Although we left Kauai 3 hours early no attempt was made to open
any additional facilities. Only the two pool bars and the Gold Rush
were open. Unfortunately, there were incredibly long lines at the
two pool bars and the Gold Rush was low on inventory. When we
questioned this we were told that the "guy with the store room key
would be on duty at 5PMand we should try then".

Fitness Center: Equipment was nice, several machines were
already out of order however. Shore Excursions: Extremely long
lines due to the fact that the desk was only open 5 hours a day.
Book on-line as soon as you can. Several times NCL only had one
computer available (we were told several times that the other
computer was not working) to scan ID cards for those leaving and
returning to the ship. This caused long lines which could have been
avoided by having leaving and returning guests use separate
gangways like other cruise lines do. If you want to snorkel
Molokini, book it independently for the morning of the second day
of Maui. Ours was spoiled do to the fact that NCL offered only an
afternoon snorkel on a 200+ passenger boat. We could not get close
enough to any spot because of the winds and the size of the boat.
The Na Pali Explorer Snorkel and Coastline viewing on Kauai was
outstanding!!!!

Disembarkation: One of the few thing NCL excelled at...getting
off the ship even earlier than your tags said. NCL directs
passengers to a specific location for cab service. These cabbies
have paid a permit fee to NCL and we never did see a cab where we
were sent. However, there were many cabs across the street so just
look around after getting your luggage and head toward the
cabs.

Value: Overall the experience was not what I had expected for
the amount of money. NCL is a Denny's/Motel 6 experience. Next time
we will skip the cruise and enjoy Hawaii on our own.

We were not fortunate enough to be on a Celebrity filled cruise
nor did we get an invitation to do a "free" two day sail aboard NCL
America. We paid fair market value for a below market value
experience.

While embarkation went smoothly aside from the long lines for
lei greetings and photos, nothing really prepared us for the rest
of the week. We were greeted upon boarding by a sign that said the
ship would sail at 7:00 that evening (7/23/05) we were still
waiting to sail at 11:30pm. It seems that NCL thought it was
important to hold a ship with 2000+ paying customers for 27 people
who had a bad connection out of Denver. Also, there was no
communication about this by the Captain, we found out later from
several crew members. This not being bad enough, the Captain tried
to make up time and run the engines a little harder only to find
out they couldn't take it. Thus, we were 4 hours late into Hilo
because of the combined late departure and engine problems. So
needless to say there were many cancelled tours or re-booked
excursions so

20-25 tour buses getting in and out of Volcano National Park and
the Macadamia Nut Factory made for a pretty crowded experience. Not
to mention I had really wanted to see a waterfall and this part of
the excursion was cancelled.

Let's give a brief run down of the ship. Since it was a new
ship, 3 previous cruising prior to ours, you would have thought it
should have been grand. While the public areas and the dining rooms
were well appointed, the rest of the ship lost something. The
cabins were small for two people (we had a BE category on deck 8
with a lanai). Storage for suitcase was limited and closet space
was non-existent. The bathroom had less room in it than may
bathrooms in a travel trailer. There were plumbing problems evident
by the smell of sewage on deck 4 as you walked through.
Housekeeping was a whole other issue. While our cabin attendant was
adequate, she was by far superior then the cabin attendant for
others in our group. One couple walked in to their cabin on the
first day to dirty glasses in the bathroom and a "special" surprise
in the toilet, while the couple next to us found panties and a
dress left behind from the previous cruise.

The second island was Maui. The first day was good the tour
guide on Polynesian tours (by the way it is owned by NCL) was
informative and entertaining. The West Maui tour was interesting
and fun and would recommend it for a low activity tour to families.
The second day we tried to Snorkel Molokini crater through a shore
excursion book through NCL. Unfortunately, NCL booked a boat that
would hold 200+ people and only had the excursion timed for
11:15am. With the trade winds coming through Maui everything we
read said to snorkel early and go in a smaller type boat. We were
never able because of the winds to get into a protected area with
the depth of the hull of the boat. So, while NCL did refund the
price of the excursion, my second day in Maui was spent on a boat
ride out and back with no snorkeling and just the thrill of riding
around with 150 people I didn't know. Suggestion would be to book
your own tour independently on the second day unless NCL changes
their greedy ways.

Our forth day on board we docked in Kona. This is the only port
where you are tendered ashore. You have to have a tender ticket
with a time for the transport off the ship to the island. Bear in
mind, NCL tours have priority. You will still get off the ship in
good time there is just a patience game that needs to be played.
There are two tenders going back and forth all day. Just remember
if you want to catch the Chocolate Buffet you need to be on the
ship at 2:30pm the afternoon you are in Kona or you are out of luck
since it is only offered once for 1 hour.

We had two final days in Kauai which I would recommend the Na
Pali Explorer excursion hands down. You can book it independently
and there are numerous rental car company vans outside of the port
authority area for your convenience. We were suppose to view the Na
Pali Coastline on Thursday evening, but this was changed. We left
Kauai 3 hours early on Friday to do the Coastline viewing also
enabling NCL to make sure we arrived into Honolulu in time for
disembarkation and to make sure they could get their engine trouble
looked at. I might not have resented this if any concession on the
cruise line had been made. There were no additional facilities
opened to easy the crush of people on the two pool bars and the
Gold Rush that was open.

I could go on and on with complaints of NCL but suffice it to
say that NCL is a Motel 6 experience operating in paradise. I would
jump at the chance to return to Hawaii but I would never consider a
cruise there again. NCL acted like once they had my money they had
no other obligation to fulfill the contract of what I had
purchased. While I will cruise again, I will never open my
checkbook for NCL or NCL America. While we planned and looked
forward to this for over a year, I can truthfully say that while
NCL did not change my idea that Hawaii is paradise, they allowed me
to realize that an inept company should not try to do a job they
are unprepared to do.

When I received my invitation for this 2-night preview cruise
for travel industry and media professionals, I wasn't initially
excited. I had seen pictures of PRIDE OF AMERICA online and frankly
I wasn't very impressed. Her exterior sported a stubby bow and I
wasn't sure about the stars & stripes "hull art". The interior
pictures unfortunately did nothing to elevate my opinion of the
ship. I'm ecstatic to proclaim my initial observations were way off
base. I absolutely loved PRIDE OF AMERICA and I think she is
probably the most unique new ship to come off the blocks in quite
some time. PRIDE OF AMERICA (POA) is in fact a one-off design. She
will never have a sister ship like so many newbuilds today that are
number 6 or 7 in an ever growing series. This fact alone makes POA
something rather special. I also leaned that first impressions are
not always correct and not every ship photographs well. I took over
200 photographs of POA (see link above) and I must say they don't
do justice to the ship. She is

a ship that needs to be experienced in person.

Embarkation: Things got off to a rough start at the pier.
Computers were down and check-in took 1 ½ hours. NCL America
did provide a little entertainment to keep spirits up. There was a
comedian on stilts dressed up as Uncle Sam trying to keep us all
entertained. The entire pier was dressed up with NCL America flags
and banners and it looked great. Were the computers initially
working things would have gone much smoother. Check-in itself was
the usual process. ID's were checked, credit cards swiped, deck
plans and ship information handed out, and a picture taken that is
embedded in the magnetic strip of your cruise card. The obligatory
embarkation picture was taken, followed by a security screening,
then on to the ship. Once onboard your cruise card was swiped and
several staff members welcomed you onboard. You were on your own to
find your cabin which is fine by me.

Cabins: Many cabins were not yet ready, which was surprising
considering it was almost 3pm. I had heard disembarkation from the
previous cruise was delayed, but this was never confirmed. I did go
inside my cabin to drop off luggage and have a quick look around.
It seemed about half way made-up and I figured the rest would be
completed later. There is a nifty dial outside the cabin with a few
different settings. You can set the dial to "Welcome", "Make-up
Cabin", Do not Disturb", etc. This is a great idea since Freestyle
Cruising means you are not on a set schedule. Your cabin
steward/stewardess requires a little help to know what your
requirements are at any given time, and the dial achieves just
that. My category BD standard balcony cabin was small by industry
standards, at approximately 178 sq feet according to the NCL
brochure and I believe that includes the balcony area. Even so, it
was well laid out and attractive with Hawaiian themed carpet, wood
veneer on the shelves and closets, and comfy white duvets. Closet
space is very limited even for two people, so don't plan on
bringing a lot of excess clothes. Formal nights are not required on
NCL America and this is a good thing considering the limited closet
space. Cabin amenities include a coffee maker with coffee, ice and
glasses, an interactive TV (called Freestyle iTV which was not yet
operational), safe, and refrigerator. The bathroom was also on the
small side including the shower stall. There was an amenity kit
that included lotion, a shoe shine, and shower cap. Soap, shower
gel, and conditioner are provided in dispensers in the shower and
above the sink. One side of the mirror opens for additional
shelves, but space is still pretty tight. The perpetual "hugging
shower curtain" is eliminated by having a shower curtain with
several steel rods in it that keep it hanging straight. Water
pressure and temperature were fine. The balcony was average size
(which means it's not too large), and included a table and two
chairs of good quality. Definitely better than the plastic resin
that many mass-market cruise lines use. One thing missing in the
cabin were master light switches over the bed, and robes. To turn
off the main cabin lights you had to get up and go to the switch by
the cabin entrance.

Suites were absolutely gorgeous and very well appointed. Be sure
to check out the pics! Each one had unique décor so they
were not cookie cutter in design or shape. If you can afford one,
go for it. They were some of the nicest and unusual suites I have
seen on any ship.

A very pleasant surprise were the inside cabins. I think they
were about the nicest inside cabins I have seen on any ship. They
actually seemed larger than the balcony cabins because of their
layout. I liked the fact there were two desks/dressing tables as
opposed to only one in the outside and balcony cabins. POA is one
ship I would not mind booking an inside cabin on.

Outside cabins had the same setup and layout as the standard
balcony cabins. If you can snag one, go for the category CC on Deck
7. These eight cabins have huge floor to ceiling windows and are
located directly midship. I would almost prefer one of these over a
balcony cabin . almost!

One thing worth mentioning is the cabin corridors. They are
probably the widest and most attractive I've seen on any ship
(including QM2). The corridors have wonderful indirect lighting,
subtle Hawaiian music is played, and the carpet is either flower or
stars pattern. There is artwork along all the corridors, and one
side is a wood veneer which gives them a very welcoming and soft
touch. Bravo to NCL for creating corridors that don't look like
they belong in a hospital.

Staff/Crew: I was more than a little curious about an
all-American crew working on a new cruise ship. American's are
generally not used to working 7-day weeks with 12 + hour days. I
wasn't sure if the service would suffer, and I think for the most
part it didn't. The American crew was generally the friendliest I
have come across in some 60 cruises. They were young, very
attractive, energetic and eager to please. Each one had a story and
they were more than willing to share it if you were willing to
listen. Personally I greatly enjoyed hearing about their
experiences. I know not everyone will appreciate the informality of
the crew, but I found it charming. NCL America had some major
difficulties with the initial crews on PRIDE OF ALOHA. As many of
you may recall, there were reports of massive crew turnover and
walk-outs during the initial inaugural period. The two major issues
NCL had to overcome were expectations and training. All crew for
NCL America now attend the most extensive crew training program in
the entire industry. The facility is located in Piney Point
Maryland and every crew/staff member spends several weeks there
before joining the ship. Not only do they learn the basics about
shipboard life and what is expected of them, they discover if
shipboard is something they desire. NCL creates an environment at
Piney Point that is very similar to what the crew experience
onboard ship. The turnover at Piney Point is high, but those that
do graduate are the best in their class and more importantly, truly
want to be there. This was certainly apparent on PRIDE OF AMERICA
based on my personal experience. Service in some areas was a bit
slow, but this could be expected on any new ship regardless of crew
nationality.

Unfortunately there was one exception, and that is cabin
housekeeping. At first I thought the problem was limited to my
cabin and section, but after chatting with several passengers the
problem seemed to be widespread to all decks and cabin types. I've
never had such a filthy cabin. Greasy hand prints on all the
mirrors; hair and crumbs in cabin drawers; dirty faucets, dirty
countertops and dispensers; and even my toilette was never cleaned.
In fact there were left over remnants from the previous occupants.
I actually used public toilettes the first night onboard as they
were spotless (as was the rest of the ship). My bed was never
turned down (and never had a bedspread), carpets never vacuumed,
the safe was locked shut, the refrigerator was filthy, and even the
glasses didn't look clean. I can only hope the bed sheets were
laundered. Tissues in the bathroom were never provided, but
toilette paper was. I didn't say anything the first night as when I
first entered the cabin after embarking I figured it wasn't
finished being cleaned. I enjoyed the evening (way too much to
drink!) and when I returned the only thing in the cabin that
changed was some towels were supplied in the bathroom. Nothing
else! The next morning I got up and went down to the Reception
Desk. I advised of the unacceptable cabin condition and that I
couldn't even use the toilette. She wrote my cabin number down on a
long list and ensured it would be taken care of. A couple hours
later I returned to the cabin and it was somewhat serviced. The
greasy hand prints were still everywhere but new towels were added
and the toilette was cleaned. The sink was still dirty and no
tissues were supplied. The bed being made was a joke . she simply
threw the duvet back on the bed and didn't even bother to rearrange
the pillows. A bedspread would have been nice. Nothing else was
cleaned. Had I been in this cabin for a week I would have had a
chat with the Chief Housekeeper and also had all room steward
gratuities removed. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel or
cruise ship where the housekeeping service was so poor.
Unfortunately others had similar problems, but mine seemed to be
the most extreme. I also spoke to other passengers who had
wonderful cabin service. Spotless cabins, bedspreads, turn-down
service, etc. Basically what you would expect. I hope this is a
problem that NCL America gets under control, and soon.

Other than the cabin, the rest of the ship was extremely clean
and you always saw crew polishing, vacuuming, and keeping things
tidy.

Dining: The dining choices on POA are numerous. There is really
something for everyone. Not all venues are free, but even if you
didn't spend an additional dime on food you would have a vast array
of choices. I had absolutely no complaints about food. One night I
ate with a large group (12 of us I believe) in the Liberty
Restaurant, and the second night I had wonderful sushi in "East
Meets West" with another large group.

Something unique being implemented on all NCL ships and
currently onboard POA and NORWEGIAN SPIRIT are flat panel dining
availability screens. They are located all over the ship in most
public areas. I was initially skeptical of these screens, but they
are a great feature. NCL actually modeled them after similar
software used for ski lift wait times at major ski resorts. These
flat panels list each restaurant (free and cover charge) along with
the current wait time at each venue. The color will change from
green (empty), to yellow (filling up), to red (full, wait
involved). The system is linked to every restaurant onboard so any
Maitre'd at any restaurant can reserve a time for you at any other
restaurant. It's really a cool system and I believe it can also be
viewed on your cabin TV once the iTV interactive system is up and
running. If your restaurant choice is full and you don't want to
switch to another dining venue, you are given a pager so you can
enjoy yourself in any one of the lounges until your pager goes
off.

Lounges / Activities / Entertainment: POA has a wonderful
assortment of lounges, entertainment, and activities. Just like the
dining arrangements, there was something for everyone. There are
whimsical lounges such as the Mardi Gras nightclub. Elegant and
eclectic areas like the Lanai Bar, and sophisticated night spots
such as the Napa Wine Bar. Pink's Piano Bar and the Gold Rush
Saloon are also festive choices. There are plenty of quiet areas as
well, with John Adams Coffee Bar and the SS America Library ranking
as top choices. The SS America Library deserves special mention.
This library is huge and beautifully decorated. It's themed after
the liner S/S AMERCA and includes artifacts from this beautiful
ship as well as a gorgeous painting of the ship and a very detailed
model. The only library that comes close at sea is onboard the QM2
and QE2. Great job NCL!

Unfortunately I didn't attend either of the production shows.
This is unusual for me as I tend to enjoy them, but I was too busy
enjoying myself with new found friends to give them a second
thought. Both shows received raves from passengers who saw them and
hopefully I'll get a second chance as I plan to book POA for a
7-day cruise later this year. NCL hosted amazing deck parties both
nights, and something I've never done before was ride a mechanical
bull! Yes, one was set up right on deck. The second night they
removed the "bull" and set up a mechanical surf board instead. It
was great, but I'm not certain if this is a permanent activity or
just something special for these industry cruises?

The Santa Fe spa is quite lovely and offers very soothing
Southwestern décor. The treatment rooms looked very
comfortable and there is a relaxation area as well. There are
separate men's and women's changing rooms along with single sex
saunas, steam rooms, and showers located inside the changing rooms.
A nice touch is the "star lit" ceiling in the steam and sauna that
changes colors creating a unique atmosphere. I believe there will
be no charge to use the steam rooms and sauna. The workout area is
large and well equipped, and there are individual flat screen
panels above each cardio machine which is a nice touch.

Another unique feature onboard POA is the Diamond Head
Auditorium. This is without a doubt the most extensive meeting area
onboard any ship. While I would have liked to see an observation
lounge in this spot, it does work very well as a circular meeting
space. NCL America has high hopes of attracting extensive meeting
and incentive groups. There is the added incentive for US
corporations to book POA and her running mate in Hawaii for added
the tax benefit. As these ships are registered in the United
States, US corporations can use the meetings as a tax write-off.
This is simply not possible on foreign flagged vessels. I hope the
Diamond Head Auditorium becomes a multi-use facility, and as the
ship becomes broken in maybe a few of the ship's activities can be
scheduled up there.

Pools / Decks: Swimming pools are one area that could be
improved upon. The pools are not the most attractive (compared to
other ships) and are a bit small. The main pool area (South Beach
Pool) is simply too cluttered. The Ocean Drive Bar is an excellent
and large pool bar, but the rest of the area is lacking. The aft
Oasis Pool is one of the smallest pools I've seen on a ship, but
it's a very attractive area and I imagine it will be much quieter
than the midship pools. Be sure to check out the adorable oversized
shower up on Deck 14. It's one of the many whimsical features that
make POA a stand-out.

There is plenty of open deck space and most of it is covered
with a blue plastic surface. I would have rather seen teak but that
is rare these days, especially on mainstream ships. There is also a
full wrap-around Promenade Deck on Deck 6. It's wide but
unfortunately chairs are few and far between.

Special mention goes to the Sports Deck on Deck 14. It's huge
and will prove very popular to sports fanatics. It's also located
out of the way as not to disturb the rest of the passengers.

Disembarkation: A short note about disembarkation. Since PRIDE
OF AMERICA is a US flagged ship and calls at no foreign ports,
there is no need for passengers to fill out any forms or clear US
Customs and Immigration. This means that very shortly after the
ships docks, you are free to go. I saw people disembarking as early
as 7:20am, and I disembarked at 8:15am and easily made a 9:30am
flight out of LAX. NCL America provided each of us with a
commemorative inaugural gift that will make a wonderful addition to
my ship collection. It's an American flag folded into a triangle
and framed in a wood and glass case. There is a plaque that reads
"PRIDE OF AMERICA Inaugural Season 2005" on the outside and there
are hooks on the back for hanging. It's one of the nicest inaugural
gifts I have come across. It was a bit awkward to carry on the
plane, but there was no way I was leaving that behind! As we walked
off the POA, many of the staff and crew from POA and the NCL Miami
office were standing on both sides of the Promenade Deck clapping
and cheering as we disembarked. It was a thoughtful and appreciated
gesture, not to mention memorable and unique. I think it's
something they should do after every cruise as it really left a
lasting impression and made you feel valued by NCL.

What's next for NCL and some tidbits: * Look for a new NCL
website coming in early 2006. It will encompass a new interactive
booking engine for both travel agents and consumers.

* Freestyle will be taken to the next level. Part of this will
be the ability to pre-book all restaurant reservations before you
leave home on the new website. Basically you will be able to plan
your entire dining week in advance. Also incorporated will be the
ability to pre-book all your spa treatments and of course shore
excursions. The other aspects of how Freestyle will evolve are in
the works, but expect innovation.

* Latitudes, the NCL past passenger club is getting revamped.
Currently all past passengers receive the same recognition
regardless of how many NCL cruise you have taken. Beginning this
Fall, Latitudes will have different benefit levels based not only
on how many times you sail, but how much you spend as well. Those
passengers that consistently book suites will receive higher
recognition.

* With the addition of NORWEGIAN JEWEL, PRIDE OF HAWAII, and two
additional "Star Class" ships, NCL will have the youngest fleet in
the industry. In 2006 NCL is actually accounting for half of all
new built tonnage in the N. American cruise industry.

* A new class of ship is currently in development. It will
follow the two unnamed "Star Class" ships already on order. Expect
innovation and many surprise features.

* All the older NCL tonnage will be phased out of the fleet by
2010 at the latest. This includes DREAM, WIND, MAJESTY, and
CROWN.

* Keep an eye out for some interesting itineraries for PRIDE OF
HAWAII. Prior to her year round 7-day Hawaii cruising, she will
embark on a few trans-Pacific itineraries between the West Coast
and Hawaii. Some interesting ports will be included (Hawaii and the
mainland) and there is no need to stop at a foreign port since she
will be US registered. Her fast 25 knot speed will also make the
crossing to Hawaii in a shorter time.

* None of the NCL America ships are permitted to sail in Alaska
or the Caribbean. This was a last minute mandate lobbied by some of
NCL competitors. Interesting.

* The SS UNITED STATES, currently laid up in Philadelphia and
owned by NCL has not been forgotten. I was able to personally
question NCL executive Andy Stuart (who BTW is a very dynamic
speaker and charming man) about her future. He informed me NCL had
created a team to determine the feasibility of bringing the SSUS
back to service. Results were very positive and he even spoke of
her excellent hull condition. Unfortunately when POA encountered
her troubles at the shipyard in Germany, the team switched their
objective from the SSUS to getting POA into service. I truly feel
the SSUS has a good possibility of being brought back to service
after speaking with Mr. Stuart. He seemed to appreciate the value
and recognition a ship like the SSUS could bring NCL America. Stay
tuned!

* Following the 2-night cruise I enjoyed, the crew of POA were
getting a short cruise of their own. Andy Stuart and the rest of
the NCL management team onboard (including POA Officers) were
switching roles and becoming waiters, bartenders, and entertainers
for the crew onboard POA. Meanwhile the crew becomes passengers and
can enjoy the hospitality of their superiors on an overnight cruise
up to San Francisco. A massive deck party was planned. What better
way to show employee appreciation and sustain excellent morale as
well? This gesture really helped earn my respect for NCL as a
caring company.

* Look for NCL to split from parent company Star Cruises later
this year and become public on the NY Stock Exchange. What happens
after that is anybody's guess.

The Final Word: In a nutshell, I loved PRIDE OF AMERICA and have
found a new appreciation for NCL. To be honest, NCL was fairly low
on my personal scale up until now. With PRIDE OF AMERICA and the
rest of the new ships NCL is building, I've discovered what an
innovative company NCL has become. They are not perfect (and no
cruise line is), but I think they have a bright future and they
certainly have earned my support and new found respect.

Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of America by Jennifer Other
(Specified in Review) June 18, 2005

We just completed a fantastic cruise on NCL's Pride of America's
Inaugural Voyage with Regis and Kelly. What a great experience and
a beatiful ship. Rooms were big enough with great balconys to sit
outside and view the ocean or ports.

Food was awesome especially in the Liberty and Skyline
Restuarants. The free-style dining works for everyone's own dinner
and eating styles which worked out great.

Entertainment on board was a big plus having Regis and Kelly and
several actors, but the ship's entertainment was just as
enjoyable.

We enjoyed this cruise alot and the ship is an awesome replica
of our patriotic United States. We also posted some great photos of
the ship on this same site for everyone to enjoy.